Interview: Aruna Shields
Her career may be relatively young, but British actress Aruna Shields has already worked with some of the biggest names in film, including Sasha Baron Cohen (Ali G Indahouse), Vivek Oberoi (Prince), and Prashant Naarayan (Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta). Yet, the aspiring international film star who has Indian, English, and Scottish roots thinks she has so much more ahead of her. In speaking with Buzzine Bollywood in an exclusive interview, Aruna explains how she has yet to scratch the surface with her acting career, with the Anglo-Indian actress delving into her personal and professional ambitions above and beyond Hindi cinema and European film.
Debuting in front of the camera in 2002, Aruna has had a unique career so far, spanning television, film, and commercial advertisements. After working her way through European film, BBC shows, and an AXE/LYNX commercial, the Indo-Brit actress earned a couple of huge breaks in Bollywood earlier this year, including her Hindi film debut in Kookie Gulati’s action-thriller, Prince. Two months later, Aruna would land the lead role in the risqué dramatic film Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta. Based upon what she done so far, Aruna said it was only natural for her acting career to develop as it has in the past eight years.
“I suppose it’s been a logical progression. Starting at school starring in all the plays, my drama teacher told me I should be an actor (when) I was only 14,” Aruna told Buzzine. “The turning point was getting signed by an acting agent after attending a theatrical workshop. A job had come in at their agency and I fit the description perfectly. It was to do a Belgian sci-fi — very random. Things slowly progressed after signing, and I started to get more and more work. It didn’t just happen overnight.”
As her life and times as a leading lady and successful thespian is picking up steam, Aruna was prepared for things to fail.
“I … started doing speech and drama at Guildhall (in England). However my parents thought it would be safer if I had a ‘proper job,’” she confessed to Buzzine. “At the beginning, (my parents) were worried, and quite rightly so. Acting is not a secure career; it doesn’t happen for many talented people. It’s super competitive and unpredictable. They would worry less if I worked 9-5 in an office. Plus, showbiz is a strange world which is totally alien to them. As a fallback, I also got a degree from Central St. Martins in London.”
Thankfully, things worked out for her. Now, instead of the validity of her career being questioned by her parents, Aruna is trying to silence her professional critics.
“They get confused because I haven’t done TV. Normally actors get experience first in TV and then progress into film. I just went straight into film after theatre, so they get a little bewildered at the gap in my CV,” Aruna observed. “Some agents want me to do TV to fill that gap. I disagree.”
Aruna probably also disagrees that Bollywood is the ideal path for her. Despite her Indian roots, Aruna does not believe she has to constantly be filming in order to be a quality actress. Instead, she believes pacing herself is the ideal way for her to define her career as qualitative. In the end, Aruna is just trying to diversify the roles she takes on, and she does feel she is lucky enough to differentiate herself from the rest of the field.
“Being different does create a niche. There are definitely quirky and challenging roles which I am perfect for. I guess I have to wait for them to come up,” she shared with Buzzine. “For me, it’s quality not quantity, so I’m not going to do four films at the same time! That would be a nightmare.”
Of course, she does not view the industry of Bollywood as a nightmare, as Aruna has not only enjoyed her experiences starring in Prince and Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta, but she has also enhanced her acting career.
“It does give me an international look, which is helpful at times. It depends on the role,” she stated. “I work in European cinema already and love it.”
Apparently she also loves dancing, which definitely helps with her Bollywood ventures.
“I choreograph my own dancing routines and performed as a professional belly dancer in London. There were clips of my dancing on the net which probably excited Bollywood. Being able to move really helps,” Aruna said. “Having said that, the Indian films I’ve done so far have not been typical Bollywood films — they have been action and art-house, so no dancing. Studios like to know that you can dance, though.”
Yet, in the end, despite only working in two Bollywood films so far, Aruna believes the brief experience has ultimately helped her broaden her horizons, professionally and personally.
“I love working with different cultures all over the world. It makes you a stronger professional,” she humbly told Buzzine. “Dealing with various characters and work ethics makes you open-minded and much more easy-going. I feel like I can deal with anything that is thrown at me. Working in India, you have to be very flexible, as things are constantly changing.”
Now that she has two Hindi films under her belt, Aruna feels she has grown both personally and as an actress.
“The more you work, the better you get. Doing a variety of different roles is challenging and gives you confidence,” Aruna said. “The growth in confidence gives you a real sense of self-belief. You know you can pull things off so you smile inside. When the public and critics like what your doing, it makes you push yourself more and not give up.”
Now she just hopes to have confidence in Bollywood finding its rightful place in international cinema.
“There needs to be some crossover. Unfortunately, films like Kites did not do well, so that is a setback. Descent films need to be funded. Producers really need to give good directors final cut,” Aruna poignantly argued. “Too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the broth. It would be great if more artistic films were getting made.”
At least Aruna has done her part in starring in films she considers artistic, such as Mr. Singh Mrs. Mehta. Now it is up to Aruna to maintain the momentum she set for herself and continue to both be an influential actress and a role model for future thespians.
